Alumni Directory

Devon Watts 2005-2006 Fellow with Plan International, Uganda Princeton University Class of 2003
Christopher Wayland 2018-2019 Fellow with Foster Lewis, Malawi Williams College Class of 2016

Alumni Update:

Chris finished his fellowship in Malawi last year.

Fellow Bio:

Christopher, a New York native, graduated from Williams College with a degree in Political Science and Economics. While at Williams, he developed a strong interest in African culture and economic development, which he pursued through both his academic studies and internships. He spent one summer working for OPIC, a government institution that helps US private enterprises invest in developing economies. The next summer he worked at Jeremy Academy in Limuru, Kenya teaching a range of subjects including Music, Math, and English to middle school students. He thoroughly enjoyed his time at Jeremy, which further piqued his interest in returning to Africa after college.  After graduation, he worked for two years at Fidelity Investments as an internal consultant, performing strategy work for Fidelity’s business units while learning more about financial services. In his down time, he enjoys playing his French horn and outdoor activities like mountain biking and skiing. Christopher is extremely excited to continue pursuing his interest in economic development while leveraging his financial services knowledge at Foster Lewis in Lilongwe, Malawi this year.

Amity Weiss 2004-2005 Fellow with Bonne Esperance, South Africa Princeton University Class of 2007
Amity Weiss 2007-2008 Fellow with Plan International, Rwanda Princeton University Class of 2007

Amity Weiss ‘07 is a politics major with a certificate in African studies from Ithaca, New York. During her PiAf fellowship year, she will be working to develop programs for the opening office of Plan Rwanda. (Plan is an international child and community development non-governmental organization.) While at Princeton she was a cadet for three years in the Reserve Officers Training Corps, where she learned how to do night land navigation, handle an M-16, and interact with people of different political and social backgrounds. She also served on the board of the Global Issues Forum and as the co-chair of the Princeton Darfur Action Committee. During her summers as a Princeton student, Amity worked with a local community-based refugee organization in Cape Town, South Africa; worked with the International Rescue Committee in Uganda; and did thesis research in Malawi. Her interest in Africa stems from her fascination with African politics and culture and how this forces her to confront ingrained biases about the continent on a daily basis. She also, totally randomly, is a certified aerobics instructor. Over the next year she hopes to learn about how international NGO programming is developed through her work with Plan and to connect with some of the Rwandan refugees she worked with in Cape Town that have since returned.

Keiana West 2018-2019 Fellow with Student Sponsorship Programme, South Africa Williams College Class of 2018

Alumni Update:

Keiana is currently a Justice Fellow at the Equal Justice Initiative where she advances public history work surrounding our nation’s history of racial injustice, facilitates community organizing around the country, and assists with legal intake. 

Fellow Bio:

Keiana graduated from Williams College with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Africana Studies. Throughout her undergraduate experience, she was deeply engaged with community organizing and education research in her hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She co-directed an organization called Converging Worlds focused on combating injustices in the prison system, and this allowed her to develop community programs, organize panels, and create a magazine to facilitate relationships between activism on campus and in the surrounding communities. As an Allison Davis Research Fellow, Keiana received two years of funding to conduct independent, faculty mentored research including the effects of race and gender on perceptions of high school students’ behavior and psychological support for behavioral concerns. She also studied abroad in Durban, South Africa, where she had the opportunity to study social and political transformation in the country and to conduct a mixed-methods evaluation of a diversion program offered by the National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders. The following summer, she completed a research internship at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she analyzed data and co-authored a pending publication on health interventions in Black churches. In the summer leading up to her fellowship, she and a peer were awarded the Davis Projects for Peace Grant to coordinate a social justice mentoring program with middle school students in Pittsfield. She is thrilled to continue her love for applied education research and non-profit work in Johannesburg

Kathleen White 2007-2008 Fellow with UN Population Fund, Senegal Princeton University Class of 2007

Fellow Bio:

A member of the Class of 2007, Katie White is a history major from Chatham, NJ. She will spend her fellowship year in Dakar, Senegal, working with the United Nations Population Fund in its regional advisory office. Katie has traveled during her last two summers to Cape Town, South Africa, where she studied human rights related issues and researched her senior thesis. At Princeton, she earned a certificate in African studies and was a member of the Cottage Club. A summer internship at the Clinton Foundation in New York gave Katie insight into private sector development work, and she is eager to learn more about an international development agency’s approach.

Bjorn Whitmore 2012-2013 Fellow with Lutheran World Federation, Burundi Harvard University Class of 2012

Alumni Update:

Bjorn recently completed his Master’s degree in International Affairs with concentrations in migration, diplomacy, and human rights at Sciences Po’s Paris School of International Affairs. He is currently working as a consultant for international organizations in the fields of human rights, political reporting, and impact evaluation. He splits his time between Europe and New York.

Fellow Bio:

Bjorn, originally from Ithaca, NY, majored in Human Evolutionary Biology with a minor in French. While at Harvard he also conducted research on human development and completed a senior thesis on the evolution of aggression. He was also involved with the Cultural Survival campaign at Harvard where he campaigned against human rights violations against indigenous people in Ecuador. In Burundi he will be working with returning refugees, both establishing their livelihoods and ensuring the needs of the locals are met. He looks forward to working closely with Burundians, learning about their country, and looking for adventure in his travels around Africa.

Wilhelm_Kelsie_WebsiteKelsie Wilhelm 2015-2016 Fellow with Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania, Tanzania Georgetown University Class of 2012

Born in Nagasaki, Japan, Kelsie split her childhood almost equally between Japan and New Jersey; but having spent the last seven years in Washington, DC, the District now feels like home. Kelsie graduated from Georgetown University in 2012 with a BSFS focusing in Global Health. Outside of the classroom, she volunteered as an EMT with Georgetown´s student-run ambulance service and served as Executive Director of the world´s largest student-run Model UN conference. After graduation, Kelsie served as an AmeriCorps volunteer in a medical clinic for homeless men and worked as a federal consultant assisting with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. She is currently living in Chile, teaching English at a public high school through an initiative conceived by the Chilean Ministry of Education and supported by the UNDP. Kelsie is passionate about access to health care, health education, and education as a tool for poverty eradication. She is also passionate about baking, music, sunshine, quotes, crafting, and hiking. She is very grateful and excited for the opportunity to further explore her interests while serving as a Princeton in Africa Fellow, and she can´t wait for the adventures, learning, and new friends that await her in Tanzania!

Allison Williams 2009-2010 Fellow with Mpala Research Centre & Wildlife Foundation, Kenya Princeton University Class of 2009

Fellow Bio:

Allison Williams is an ecology and evolutionary biology major from Mt. Laurel, NJ. At Princeton, she focused her senior thesis research on the behavior and physiology of yellow baboons in Kenya and worked in the Altmann hormone lab analyzing stress hormones. Allison enjoys playing soccer and played for the university on the varsity and club teams. She also tutored children through several university programs and is a member of the Cottage Club. In Kenya next year, Allison looks forward to the research and work she will take part in at the Mpala Research Center and learning the local languages, eating the local food, and interacting with the people.

Our History

In 1999, a group of Princeton alumni, faculty, and staff launched Princeton in Africa as an independent affiliate of Princeton University inspired by the University’s informal motto, “Princeton in the Nation’s Service and in the Service of All Nations.” In 2010, the program opened up to include graduates of any US accredited university in order to meet the growing demand from host organizations and allow more young professionals access to the unique opportunities afforded by PiAf. During the past 20 years, we have placed over 600 Fellows with more than 100 organizations in 36 countries, while developing more strategic partnerships across Africa and creating more opportunities for our alumni community to engage with the continent and with one another.

Testimonials

The International Rescue Committee has been so fortunate to have had a longstanding relationship with Princeton in Africa since our very first Fellows landed in Rwanda in 1999.  Whether it was Emily or Renee in 1999 or the 110 Fellows across 14 IRC countries over the years, we have been blessed by the relationship, the quality of the Fellows and the impact on what IRC does on the ground every single day.

Brian Johnson
Chief Human Resources Officer
International Rescue Committee

My fellowship has been the most impactful personal and professional development opportunity of my life. I wanted a post-college experience that would push my limits, expand my comfort zone, and help me discern the next steps in my career journey. And this has been the case.

Ryan Elliott
2014-15 Fellow
Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative in Lesotho

I can honestly say that this year has changed my life and my view of what’s possible for the future. Princeton in Africa isn’t just a one-year fellowship, it’s an introduction to a particular way of life and a new way of thinking about the world. I feel like so many doors are open now that I never would have considered before.

Katie Fackler
2010-11 Fellow
UN World Food Programme

My Princeton in Africa fellowship was everything I could have hoped for and much more. The myriad of experiences makes my head swim, and it has strengthened my desire to help underserved populations worldwide.

David Bartels
2006-2007 Fellow
Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative

Princeton in Africa was an invaluable experience for me. I learned an infinite amount through my work and through living in Uganda. I also realized that I want to continue working on African issues as long as I can.

Alexis Okeowo
2006-2007 Fellow
The New Vision

The International Rescue Committee’s experience with Princeton in Africa has been exceptional. Each Fellow brings excellent writing and analytical skills as well as unique interests and passions that enrich the program and the field office environment. We were so pleased we expanded the program to more field offices.

Susan Riehl
Human Resources, IRC

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has been working in Africa for over 11 years through its Secure the Future program.  One common theme in all aspects of program implementation is having passionate, energetic individuals on the ground who can think outside the box and then transfer the skills for sustainability.  The Princeton In Africa Fellows have been a huge asset in this regard and our programs and patients have been better for it.

John Damonti
President, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation